This invention relates generally to alignment materials for use in liquid-crystal electrooptic devices. More specifically, this invention relates to polymeric alignment materials that reduce or eliminate the need for separate polymeric alignment layers and provide improved mechanical stabilization to liquid crystals.
Liquid crystal electrooptic devices such as flat panel displays rely on active alignment, or control, of the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules when no field is applied. A parameter of a liquid crystal structure, such as director orientation or smectic layer structure, may be said to be actively aligned if alignment layers induce a preferred configuration on the parameter and if when the preferred configuration is perturbed, the alignment layers exert a restoring force or torque.
There are a number of different conventional methods for controlling the orientation of the liquid crystals in the absence of a field. For example, in a twisted nemantic display, the liquid crystal orientation is anchored at the surfaces on each side of the device and aligned parallel to the surfaces using rubbed polymer layers where the rubbing directions are mutually orthogonal to produce a twisted liquid crystal configuration. There are a number of difficulties associated with this approach, mainly associated with the rubbing procedure that is needed to induce the orientation in the alignment layers.
More problematic are smectic liquid crystal displays, such as, for example, ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs), used for bi-stable displays or newer analog xe2x80x9cthresholdless FLCxe2x80x9d devices. For FLC display panels and other smectic LCDs, the structure of the smectic layers as well as the orientation of the director is an important parameter. For existing smectic LCDs, the smectic layers of the FLC must be aligned in a xe2x80x9cbookshelf arrangement,xe2x80x9d and this orientation of the FLC is produced using polymer alignment layers with special thermal histories.
In addition to the same problems caused by rubbing that occur in nematic displays, a major deficiency in this means of controlling the oriented state is that they are very susceptible to mechanical disruption and alignment generally does not recover after having been perturbed by mechanical stress. However, for LCDs containing the more ordered smectic liquid crystal materials, the smectic layer structure is only passively aligned by cooling through the nematic to smectic phase transition, i.e., there is no uniquely specified periodicity in the interaction between the alignment layer and adjacent liquid crystal molecules defining the alignment which the smectic layers should adopt. Thus, if this alignment is disturbed in the smectic phase, there is no force acting to restore the original alignment. Accordingly, a small mechanical shock can disrupt the orientation state, causing orientational defects to form, which cannot be removed by any existing technology. So while smectic LCDs and, in particular, ferroelectric LCDs are strong contenders for use in high definition television (HDTV) displays, memory displays, and computer work stations, their poor resistance to mechanical shock currently limits commercial FLC devices to small sizes, typically less than a few centimeters on a side. There are known ways of reducing this problem, such as, for example, through the use of damped mountings and adhesive spacer techniques for fabrication of FLC panels. However, these techniques are not effective against all possible types of mechanical damage, such as a sudden impact or continuous pressure.
Several patents attempt to address the problems associated with the stability of conventional liquid crystal displays via various conventional mechanical alignment layer means. For example, JP 52 411 discloses an arrangement in which dichromatic molecules are bonded to an alignment layer. Liquid crystal molecules then align on the layer of dichromatic molecules. However, this method still has the problem of a weak alignment layer-liquid crystal layer interface. Meanwhile, EP 307 959, EP 604 921 and EP 451 820 all disclose various techniques for obtaining particular structures within ferroelectric liquid crystal layers which are intended to provide improved mechanical stability. However, the structures disclosed in the specifications are incompatible with high speed, high contrast addressing schemes and are therefore of very limited application. EP 635 749 discloses an adhesive spacer technique for the fabrication of FLC display panels so as to provide more resistance to mechanical damage. However, as described hereinbefore, techniques of this type are not effective against all possible types of mechanical damage. Also, EP 467 456 discloses the use of a liquid crystal gel layer as an alignment layer. However, this type of alignment layer is used merely to control the pre-tilt angle of the liquid crystal material in the cell and does not improve the mechanical stability.
A second method for aligning liquid crystals uses a phase-separated polymer to control alignment and provide mechanical stability, rather than an alignment layer. There are two general techniques, polymer-dispersed liquid crystals and polymer-stabilized liquid crystals. These systems function similar to alignment layers, in that the interactions between the liquid crystal molecules and the polymer occur only at the interface between the solid polymer and the liquid crystal. Typically, the polymer is synthesized in situ by photochemistry or thermally triggered crosslinking of monomer (or macromer) dissolved into the liquid crystal. As the molecular weight of the polymer grows, the system phase-separates into polymer rich, solid and liquid crystal rich, nematic or smectic phases. The nature of the liquid crystal orientation at the resulting liquid crystal polymer interfaces is typically controlled by the structure of the polymer or surface-active agents that are incorporated in the system. In some cases, the orientation direction is influenced using an applied electric or magnetic field during polymerization so that the resulting polymer provides a lasting memory of the orientation state. In this technique the alignment polymer is made anisotropic by applying a flow or an electric field, then after the desired orientation of the solvated monomer or prepolymer is generated, the polymer is transformed so that it provides a lasting memory of the orientation state, e.g., by photochemically or thermally-triggered cross-linking. These techniques do improve the mechanical stability of the liquid crystals.
For example, GB 2 274 652 discloses an arrangement in which a conventional low molar mass ferroelectric liquid crystal mixture is doped with a polymeric additive. However, while this arrangement is intended to improve mechanical stability, of ferroelectric liquid crystals it results in reduced switching speed for the electrooptic device.
Similarly, EP 586 014 discloses arrangements of a polymer network created by photoinitiated polymerization of an aligned liquid crystal containing monomer. However, while this arrangement does improve mechanical stability, it results in reduced switching speed for the electrooptic device.
Finally, S. H. Jin et al, xe2x80x9cAlignment of Ferroelectric Liquid-crystal Molecules by Liquid-Crystalline Polymer,xe2x80x9d SID 95 Digest, (1995) 536-539 discloses the use of a main chain thermotropic liquid crystal polymer as an alignment layer for an FLC cell. However, the liquid crystal alignment is obtained by conventional mechanical rubbing of this layer, the liquid crystal polymer being in its glassy phase at room temperature.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved material for use in aligning liquid crystal electrooptic devices which reduces or eliminates the need for a separate alignment layer and which provides greater mechanical stabilization to a wide range of fast switching liquid crystal displays.
The present invention is directed to an electro-optically active polymer gel material comprising an alignment polymer adapted to be homogeneously dispersed throughout a liquid crystal to control the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules and confer mechanical stability. This invention utilizes a homogenous gel in which the polymer strands of the gel are provided in low concentration such that they are well solvated by the small molecule liquid crystal. A desired orientation is then locked into the gel by physical or chemical cross-linking of the polymer chains. The orientation of the polymers, is then utilized to direct the orientation field in the liquid crystal in the xe2x80x9cfield offxe2x80x9d state of a liquid crystal display. In this invention the strands of the polymer also provide a memory of the mesostructural arrangement of the liquid crystal and act to suppress the formation of large scale deviations, such as, for example, fan-type defects in an FLC when subjected to a mechanical shock.
In one embodiment, the invention is directed to an electro-optically active, homogeneously dispersed polymer gel layer of liquid crystalline material comprising a permanently oriented anisotropic network of polymerized material containing molecules of at least one sparsely cross-linked homogeneously dispersed polymer solvated by molecules of at least one liquid crystalline material or mesogen, wherein the polymer is provided in low enough concentrations such that the switching response of the liquid crystal polymer gel is acceptably fast for electrooptic operations. In one particular embodiment the polymer is adapted to mechanically stabilize the gel. Any suitable polymer and liquid crystal mixture can be utilized such that the polymer is fully solvated by the liquid crystal molecules, such as, for example, a side-chain or main-chain polymer block or telechelic polymer having a liquid crystal mesogen. Any suitable method of forming the electro-optically active polymer gel layer may be utilized, such as, for example, by self-assembly of a main-chain or side-chain block copolymer, by photopolymerization of a soluble macromer, or by a mixture of the two.
Although any suitably dilute concentration of polymer may be utilized such that the switching speed of the liquid crystal is not significantly reduced (for example, where the switching time more than doubles over the switching time of the pure liquid crystal molecules) and such that the polymer molecules are capable of sparsely cross-linking to form the polymer network, in one preferred embodiment the electro-optically active layer comprises less than 5% of the gel layer by mass and more preferably equal to or less than 2% of the gel layer by mass.
Likewise, although any high molecular weight polymer may be utilized such that the polymer is capable of sparsely cross-linking even at dilute concentrations, in a preferred embodiment the polymer has a molecular weight of at least 100,000 g/mol, more preferably at least 500,000 g/mol, and even more preferably at least 1 million g/mol.
In another embodiment, the homogeneously dispersed polymer component of the electro-optically active polymer gel is selected such that the polymer molecules dictate the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the absence of an electric field. In this embodiment any alignment geometry suitable for the desired liquid crystal material or electrooptic device may be induced in the gel, such as, for example, uniaxial, twisted, supertwisted, tilted, or bookshelf.
In yet another embodiment, the liquid crystal molecules are selected from the group of fluorinated or cyanobiphenyl (CB) based liquid crystal molecules.
In still another embodiment, the network of liquid crystal molecules comprises a plurality of self-assembly block copolymers each comprising at least one endblock and at least one midblock, wherein the endblock either physically or chemically cross-links with at least one other endblock and wherein the midblock is soluble in the liquid crystal molecules. In such an embodiment the endblock may be insoluble in the liquid crystal molecules thereby physically aggregating to form the polymer network. In such an embodiment the midblock may further comprise a plurality of liquid crystal side-chains, wherein the liquid crystal side-chains confer solubility to the block copolymer in the liquid crystal molecules, or alternatively the midblock may be a main-chain polymer comprising a plurality of liquid crystal mesogens, and wherein the main-chain confers solubility to the block copolymer in the liquid crystal molecules, or in yet another alternative the midblock may comprise a mixed side-chain/main-chain polymer, where at least one of the main-chain or the side-chain confers solubility to the block copolymer in the liquid crystal molecules.
In such an embodiment the cross-linking may occur at any point on the polymer chain. For example, the polymer molecules may be cross-linked only at the ends or the midblock may further comprise at least one linking block, wherein the linking block is either physically or chemically cross-links with either the linking block or endblock of another polymer.
In still yet another such embodiment the endblock may be made crosslinkable with other endblocks by application of either a photo or thermal initiating energy. In such an embodiment the photo initiating energy may be any suitable energy, such as, for example, UV-light, X-ray, gamma-ray, and radiation with high-energy electrons or ions.
In still yet another embodiment, the network of liquid crystal molecules comprises a plurality of self-assembly telechelic polymers each comprising at least one crosslinking functional group, where the crosslinking functional group either physically or chemically cross-links with at least one other crosslinking functional group and wherein the telechelic polymer is soluble in the liquid crystal molecules. In such an embodiment, the crosslinking functional group may be insoluble in the liquid crystal molecules. Also in such an embodiment the telechelic polymer may further comprise a plurality of liquid crystal side-chains, where the liquid crystal side-chains confer solubility to the telechelic polymer in the liquid crystal molecules, or alternatively the telechelic polymer may be a main-chain polymer comprising a plurality of liquid crystal mesogens, where the main-chain confers solubility to the telechelic polymer in the liquid crystal molecules, or again alternatively the telechelic polymer may comprise a mixed side-chain/main-chain polymer, where at least one of the main-chair or the side-chain confers solubility to the telechelic polymer in the liquid crystal molecules.
In such an embodiment the telechelic polymer may be cross-linked by any suitable means. For example, the telechelic polymer may further comprise at least two crosslinking groups at either end of the telechelic polymer.
In an alternative embodiment the crosslinking group is made crosslinkable with other crosslinking groups by application of either a photo or thermal initiating energy. In such an embodiment the photo initiating energy may be selected from any suitable source, such as, for example, UV-light, X-ray, gamma-ray, and radiation with high-energy electrons or ions.
In still yet another alternative embodiment, the liquid crystal molecules are aligned according to a geometry selected from the group consisting of: uniaxial, twisted, supertwisted, tilted, chevron and bookshelf.
In still another embodiment, the invention is directed to an electrooptic device incorporating the electro-optically active gel layer of the invention. Any suitable electrooptic device may be utilized, such as, for example, a liquid crystal display device or an electroluminescent lamp.
In still yet another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method for constructing an electrooptic device utilizing the electro-optically active gel layer of the invention. The method comprising homogeneously dispersing a small quantity of the high molecular weight polymer described above into a quantity of liquid crystal molecules, orienting the liquid crystal molecules and polymers and sparsely crosslinking the polymers to form an anisotropic polymer network adapted to mechanically stabilize the liquid crystal molecules. In such a method the anisotropic polymer network may also be adapted to dictate the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules.